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Some Things You Should Know About
Media Violence and Media Literacy



Media
violence can lead to aggressive behavior in children. Over 1,000 studies
confirm this link.



By
age 18, the average American child will have viewed about 200,000 acts of
violence on television alone.



The
level of violence during Saturday morning cartoons is higher than the level of
violence during prime time. There are 3 to 5 violent acts per hour in prime
time, versus 20 to 25 acts per hour on Saturday morning.



Media
violence is especially damaging to young children (under age 8) because they
cannot easily tell the difference between real life and fantasy. Violent images
on television and in movies may seem real to young children. They can be
traumatized by viewing these images.

Media
violence affects children by:



Increasing
aggressiveness and anti-social behavior.



Increasing
their fear of becoming victims.



Making
them less sensitive to violence and to victims of violence.



Increasing
their appetite for more violence in entertainment and in real life.



Media
violence often fails to show the consequences of violence. This is especially
true of cartoons, toy commercials and music videos. As a result, children learn
that there are few if any repercussions for committing violent acts.



Parents
can reduce the effect media violence has on children by:



Limiting
the amount of television children watch to 1 to 2 hours a day.



Monitoring
the programs children watch and restricting children's viewing of violent
programs.



Monitoring
the music videos and films children see, as well as the music children listen
to, for violent themes.



Teaching
children alternatives to violence.



Parents
can help children develop media literacy skills by:

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Helping
children distinguish between fantasy and reality.



Teaching
them that real-life violence has consequences.



Watching
television with children and discussing the violent acts and images that are
portrayed. Ask children to think about what would happen in real life if the
same type of violent act were committed. Would anyone die or go to jail? Would
anyone be sad? Would the violence solve problems or create them?



Asking
children how they feel after watching a violent TV show, movie, or music video.

Sources:
"Media Violence," AAP Committee on Communications, in Pediatrics,
Vol. 95, No. 6, June 1995.
"Suggestions for Parents: Children Can Unlearn Violence," in the
Center for Media and Values (now the Center for Media Literacy) Media and
Values, No. 62, 1993, "Media and Violence: Part One: Making the
Connections."Reprint from the American Academy of Pediatrics